


Career Plans

by sanctum_c



Series: Aerith Month 2018 [17]
Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Career Change, F/F, Girls Kissing, Kissing, No Dialogue, Travel, World Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:07:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28057359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctum_c/pseuds/sanctum_c
Summary: Aeris is not sure what she wants to do with her life.
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough & Cloud Strife, Aerith Gainsborough/Tifa Lockhart, Tifa Lockhart & Cloud Strife
Series: Aerith Month 2018 [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2009521
Kudos: 14





	Career Plans

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt 'Favorite Relationship'

Aeris reckoned relationships would be something she got to when she was older. At some point they would make sense, but somehow she never seemed to reach a sufficient age. The concept seemed forever beyond the curve of plausibility. All around her the people she grew up with lusted after other people in a way she did not. She enjoyed making out, but the implied spark from fiction never struck her the way it did other people. She supposed she had not found the right person yet. Or she simply might not think along those kind of lines.

Mom left her alone; unlike certain media cliches she expressed no desperation for grandchildren. Aeris's lack of concern on supposed romantic occasions passed without comment. She had her friends and enjoyed their company. Did she need to pursue anything more? Films and TV loved to push the idea of romances written in the stars, but also loved to demonstrate how becoming romantically close could cause a falling out with both friends and lovers over a long enough time-span.

Fiction of course; real life offered plenty examples of happy couples. Also single-parents who seemed content with no intention of seeking out someone new. This group encompassed both her best friends; Cloud and Tifa had only a single living parent.

Tifa remained the closest Aeris made when she and Mom moved to Nibelheim. They did everything together; clambering up Mount Nibel with Cloud (quickly added to Aeris's group of friends) occasionally in tow, sleep overs every other weekend, sharing everything and near inseparable.

When they reached their teenage years, the need for Aeris and her friends to find their own paths in life became inescapable. Tifa excelled both at navigating the trails across Mount Nibel and cooking. Whenever anyone posed the question to Aeris, her responses rested on her skill at gardening. Tifa made the obvious but not unwanted suggestion she open a flower shop. A fantastic idea; if not for the existing establishment in town - and the owner had no need for any kind of assistant. Not like the inn was crying out for extra staff to work in the kitchens either - and Tifa's expertise on the mountain was in demand.

Contrary to both, Cloud had always made a big thing of his future; he wanted to enroll in SOLDIER. A certain amount of jealousy gave Aeris the idea to also seek out Midgar and SOLDIER. A career path, if nothing close to her dream job. Easy to convince Cloud to let her tag along when he left. And yet it never felt like the right decision - but what else could she do?

Despite the decision, Aeris could not help but note drawbacks with her plan near immediately. She might not enjoy life in the city for one thing. Or she might fail to qualify for SOLDIER. Cloud's assignments could be miles from her. No Tifa to talk to whenever she wanted- Those worries never touched Cloud. He had no desire to look back - only forward to the horizon and the future. At least Tifa was going to journey with them until Costa del Sol.

The trio made good time to Cosmo Canyon. Aeris and Tifa shared a twin room to cut down on the expenses. So nice to have her alone again. Hard to sleep when there was so much to see and do, but exhaustion forced the issue in the end. At least the cold stone of the rooms made dozing off easy. The sticky, sweltering heat of Gongaga left her tired; somehow Tifa slept in the stifling room they shared. Aeris - soaked with sweat and never able to get comfortable - kicked all the sheets to the ground. Sometime later she pulled only the absolute thinnest back over her to prevent the irritating tickle of buzzing insects alighting on her sweat-drenched limbs. Not going back there again - or at least not without a room with air conditioning.

At North Corel Aeris suffered new doubts. Not far from the edge of the continent. Not far until Tifa would head back. The last time the topic came up, it sounded like she would return home soon. The notion hurt more than expected. Aeris wouldn't see Tifa for some time. There might not long until some opportunity arose, but whole months would pass before they could see each other again. Aeris bit her lip, not wanting to worry Tifa.

Not telling Tifa of her worries caused other issues; once they reached Costa del Sol, Tifa took both Aeris and Cloud out for a celebratory meal. Aeris feigned something similar to Cloud's excitement and did perhaps a bit too effective a job. They toasted their success before bed and time was running out at a faster and faster rate. Aeris barely slept; could she tell Tifa everything she wanted to before an ever-widening gap between them? Until the realization. She couldn't go with Cloud. Couldn't bear to leave Tifa behind and continue on with him. She could not try for SOLDIER.

In the early hours of the morning Aeris apologized to Tifa and Cloud, bleary-eyed and detached from the world. Aeris wanted to go home.

Tifa was nothing but supportive of her choice and gave Aeris every assurance she could. They stayed side by side to wave Cloud onto the boat and off to his new life. But despite Aeris's certainty she did not want to try for SOLDIER, it was difficult to shift the notion she had made the wrong choice. A worry, but not insurmountable. If she changed her mind, her opportunity was not gone forever; she could wait for the next boat.

Her feelings remained in flux and they headed home. Slower than the outward trip; no schedule to keep, only an inevitable destination and an eventual need to explain why she had come back. Somehow Tifa never lost her patience with Aeris during this time - and at North Corel, she offered to take Aeris's mind off recent events. Not how Aeris expected but impossible to complain about how Tifa achieved her goal.

Impossible to resist Tifa's kisses nor did she want to stop once they holed up in a room together. The kisses continued until one thing lead to another. They shared the bed - and something in Aeris's perspective shifted. No need to figure out her life right now. This trip - she had enjoyed the trip and the company. What she had not liked was the finality or the destination. So could they keep on going? The route back to Nibelheim became slower and slower, they lingered more and more in their travels and shared a bed every night.

Despite their dawdling, they could not avoid the inevitable. Returning to Nibelheim did not provoke the gut-churning worry heading for Midgar had. Mom accepted Aeris back without protest, though remained bemused Aeris did not now want to stay put. She stayed close to Tifa - now more than ever. They continued sleeping together; they both enjoyed it, so why stop? And everything else grew from there. They both tracked across Mount Nibel, made their way to Rocket Town. They returned to Cosmo Canyon and later explored the North.

Marriage was a logical step. They spent so much time in each other's company - plus there the perks for married couples, so why not? They'd split their time between the parents' house for now; neither keen on settling down yet.


End file.
